VILLAGERS in Matopo, Matabeleland South, were baffled when a snake was found in one of the villagers’ homestead during a cleansing ceremony.
A crowd of shocked villagers thronged the homestead to catch a glimpse of the snake. Witnesses said the snake which was found inside Judia Nyathi’s suitcase gave prophets a torrid time before they killed it.
“Prophets searched inside Nyathi’s house and came out with a black suitcase. When they opened the suitcase the snake slithered out and they ran after it because it was so fast. They managed to kill it after several minutes,” said a villager.
In the same suitcase, a clay pot was found which had fresh blood inside. It is reported that the snake would feed from the blood inside the clay pot. Sources also claimed that the snake would speak in fluent English using an elderly woman’s voice.
It is alleged the snake discovered by prophets at Nyathi’s homestead belonged to his late mother.
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| Man Caught With An English-Speaking Reptile |
“Nyathi is a wizard. He cannot allow the snake to be kept in his homestead if he is not a wizard. There are hardly any rains in Matopo because of people like him.”
Nyathi, however, denied the accusations.
“The snake was discovered in my suitcase but I also did not know the snake was in the suitcase. All I know is my mother would go to Njelele to pray for the rains. She was possessed with ancestral spirits.
“It could be one of her snakes and I suspect that our family always has misunderstandings because of this snake,” said Nyathi.
Chief Malachi Masuku confirmed the incident. “I received a report concerning the snake which was found at Nyathi’s homestead. I am also shocked,” he said.
Last year two Chinhoyi tsikamutandas were caught red-handed planting a live snake at a Rusape homestead in an attempt to hood-wink the family which had hired them to conduct a cleansing ceremony.
They were arrested and arraigned before the courts. The two, Senator (28) and Tinashe Tendaupenyu (22) of Number 24, Lions’ Den, Chinhoyi are being charged under section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which criminalises fraud and they are also facing an alternate charge of engaging in practices commonly associated with witchcraft.
Source: My Zimbabwe
